Doña Bety has lived at Na Bolom for over 50 years. She is the adopted daughter of Trudy and Frans and is now in her later years. Ever since her 15 th birthday when she first accompanied Trudy and Frans to the Lacandon Jungle, Doña Bety has felt more at home there than she does here.

Now in her later years, Doña Bety has decided to return to the Lacandon Jungle but accompanying our Tours we do as our head chef and our connection with the local people. Tours with Doña Bety are distinct. With over 50 years visiting this community she is a celebrity with the Lacandon people of Naja. In the evenings we sit around the large wooden table drinking hot chocolate and sharing experiences with the local Lacandons who come to greet Doña Bety.

For more information on Tours we offer, please ask for our Tour coordinator (reservations@nabolom.org). We offer tours of 1- 5 days and can also organise custom made tours to cater for your specific interests and the time you have available.

All proceeds from our Tour program go directly to supporting our conservation and cultural projects.

Dona Bety's Biography

I am going to talk a little bit about my first time to the Lacandona Jungle:

One day, Don Pacho and Trudy invited me, from what I remember, to go to the jungle for my fifteenth birthday. I was sitting in a bench in the corridor of the patio where the chapel is, sitting between both of them. They asked me if I would like to travel with them and I replied that I would. Great, they said, we have three options for you, one is to visit Mexico City , the other is to go to San Miguel de Allende and the other is to go to the Lacandona Jungle. This name, the Lacandona Jungle, sounded beautiful to me and made me feel something inside my heart. I told them that I wanted to go to the jungle. They were happy with my response and went about to arrange the trip. When we arrived to Nahá, I was impressed by the Lacandones with their long hair and long white tunics. The first Lacandón I was introduced to was Chankin Viejo. He asked me who was going to be the first to fall in the mud and it ended up to be me who first fell. My long blouse was full of mud; I was completely covered in mud. Trudy put me in the water with all of my clothes on-all the while everyone else was dying of laughter. I didn't know how to swim. In this beautiful lagoon, I had my first bath in the jungle.

The jungle for me is a marvelous therapy. All the Lacandones know me very well; the children call me grandmother with all their affection.

I offer you my hospitality in Trudy's camping site and in the Na Bolom Hotel-Museum, where I will take care of you as needed. I put myself at your order.

With much affection,

Beatriz Mijangos.